Skin is the human body largest organ, having an important protective and sensorial function between the organism and the external environment. It protects the organism against dehydration, loss of fluids and proteins, maintains and dissipates heat, avoids the entrance of microorganisms such as bacteriae, viruses, fungi and parasites, and of harmful chemicals.
Ageing signals are easily noted on the skin, such as the appearance of wrinkles, lines of expression, lentigoes (senile spots), malasma and chloasma (pregnant women), loss of resilience, texture, shine, reduction in thickness, higher rigidity and drying up.
Besides the age of the person, sun exposure is a key factor inducing skin ageing. Among the means used to repair damages caused by early ageing, there are surgical treatments, dermal abrasion, chemical peelings, chemical cauterization, criosurgery, filling injections with collagen, metacrylates and hyaluronic acid, botulinic toxic, laser application etc. Although these procedures show good results, chemical treatment methods for aged skin or its prevention are still rare. The main products with huge popular consumption are those absorbing ultraviolet rays, commercialized as sun protectors.
The skin contains an intricate net of elastin fibers which is responsible for its elastic properties. Under excessive solar exposure, the elastic fibers becomes hyperplastic, unorganized and interrupted. This process is known as actinic elastosis and is the main cause of wrinkles, decoloration and lack of energy. As new fibroblasts, endothelial cells and keratinocytes are formed, skin tends to regenerate, but this route gets slower with ageing, the dermis-epidermis junction becomes plain, resulting in less general mechanical resistance, and there is a reduction in the number of cells and vessels supplying the skin. As a result, the skin becomes thinner, less resilient, providing the appearance of wrinkles and more opaque aspect.
In view of the above, regenerating or anti-skin ageing products have been proposed. Usually, solutions have been to use various additives in common cosmetic compositions, so as to efficiently provide energy to an aged skin, such as polyhydric alcohols (e.g. glycerin or sorbitol), hyaluronic acid, collagen, elastin, humidifying agents (amino acids, salts of lactic acid, sodium pyrrolidone carboxylate or urea), intercellular lipids (sphyngolipids, phospholipids or cholesterol), lipid simulators (olive oil, jojoba oil or squalene); cell activating agents (vitamins A, C, E or their derivatives, vitamin F or linoleic acid, vitamin H or glutathione), animal extracts (placenta liquid or royal jelly), etc. The use of titanium powder or talc powder is also known in surface treatment formulations, to make malasma or wrinkles less evident by mere make-up.
Specifically concerning skin coloring, the use of whitening agents is known, such as L-ascorbic acid and its derivatives, hydroquinone, glutathione and colloidal sulfur derivatives, aiming to eliminate or prevent abnormal deposition of melanine pigments. They are however deficient due to their weak inhibitory effect over melanine production, the presence of odors and precipitate formation. Therefore, their individual use in cosmetics brings a whitening effect with low efficiency.
The search for solutions for skin ageing, as we can be seen, is an activity in full development. Within this context, the present invention provides and efficient and simple topical formulation, providing regenerating and healing effects to the skin, differently from what is currently known.